Interpretation creates meaning, Christopher Buck reminds us in the first sentence of his study of the Kitab-i Iqan, Bahaullahs Book of Certitude. In this case, the new meanings brought forth in interpretation of Christian and Muslim prophecies eventually created a new religion : the Bahai Faith.

Symbol and Secret offers a scholarly examination of the literary techniques, the doctrinal content, the hermeneutical terminology, and the Muslim context of Bahaullahs major work, revealed in 1861-62 in Baghdad. The author examines the circumstances of how the book was written, discusses the controversies surrounding early manuscripts, answers non-Bahai attacks on their authenticity, and gives an exhaustive history of the books publication in various editions.

The Kitab-i Iqan was revealed about a year before Bahaullah declared his mission of prophethood and is ostensibly a defense of the religion of the Bab. Written in answer to questions presented to Bahaullah by the Babs uncle, the Iqan argues for a symbolic and metaphorical understanding of scripture. At the same time, however, it harbors a seret which only a few had then discoveredthe secret of Bahaullahs true station.

This is the seventh in a series of volumes devoted to the academic study of the Babi and Bahai religions. It is the only full-length, academic book devoted to any single work of Bahai scripture. A careful and exhaustive work, it is a vital addition to any serious Bahai library.

Table des matières

Chapitre I Baha’ullah and the Book of CertitudeChapitre II Exegesis and Ideology : The doctrinal Content of the Book of CertitudeChapitre III Beyond Islam : Hermeneutical Terminology in the Book of CertitudeChapitre IV Exegetical Techniques in the Book of CertitudeChapitre V : Conclusion : The Other Side of the Bridge